by Rains, Nina
The man’s words scared me. I felt my face turn pale as I thought of Saicin. I looked straight at the man to see if it was a bluff. He stared straight into my eyes and with a voice that almost pierced my soul, he said, “You should hurry, princess, or you will lose the heart and your sister.”
I did not want to believe him, but I had no choice, but to follow him. I had too much to lose if he spoke the truth. The man blew a hot wind and a ball of fire appeared in front of me.
“You will need something to light your way, your Highness,” the man said.
The man blew a cold wind. The wind turned into hard ice and it held the ball of fire. I reached for the ice torch. My mouth dropped in awe when the torch was not as cold as it should be. The fire did not melt it, either.
“They contained my power in this room. That torch would not be protected by magic outside these walls,” the man told me. “I believe the priestesses had their own way to light the way.”
“If you fooled me, I will kill you,” I warned the man.
The man only answered with a proud grin.
I turned around and ran to the gate and out of the dungeon. When I reached the stairs, the torch began to melt because of the fire. I ran back to the room to accuse the man of being a hoax, but my mind changed when I entered the room. The torch hardened and lit brightly again.
“I told you, princess. My power is only until the walls of this room,” the man reminded me. “I hope you can run as swiftly as you can draw your sword." I glared at the man and ran back to the stairs. I placed the torch near a mirror. The flicker reflected only on the last mirror. I reversed the direction of all the mirrors. The stairs became visible as the reflection lit the way.
I took a deep breath and sprinted up the stairs. Wait for me, Saicin. I will not let them harm you. I thought to myself. I stopped when the stairway turned darker. The reflection of the lit torch started to fade. No! I panicked as I had more stairs to run.
Suddenly, the stairway became bright again. I looked at the mirrors. It reflected a blazing ball. He… I smiled a little when I thought of the man. I removed my cape and tore half of my long skirt.
The light faded again, but the man lit it up with another ball of fire. I ran as fast as I could. Every time the way turned dark, the man lit it again.
* * *
I ran out of the temple, gasping and drenched with my sweat. The priestess warriors, Frida’s private army, ran towards me with their swords. There were dozens of them. All of them were dressed in their white armors.
I looked at the towers of the castle. None of the warning lights had lit up. It only meant that the people were not aware that their princess was in trouble. A silent revolt? From Frida. I must have angered her a lot.
“Seize her!” The chief of the priestess warriors ordered.
“Stop, if you don’t want to die!” I yelled. The warriors did not slow down. I looked around for a weapon to grab, but the temple was surrounded only by dust.
I turned to the temple. The man did not know that I had already gone out. He still kept lighting balls of fire to reflect light through the mirrors.
I smiled and turned to the warriors. I pointed at the flickering entrance and bluffed, “I will have my dragon burn you into ashes.”
The priestess warriors stopped and looked at each other.
“Meila did say she trapped her,” one of the warriors whispered. “How could she get out alive?”
“Seize her,” the chief of the warriors ordered again.
I raised my chin and looked straight to the priestess warriors. I pretended to be the Aurora they all knew – stubborn and arrogant. My façade scared some of the warriors, but the others began to charge towards me again.
“I now have the real dragon’s heart,” I lied with a straight face. “Come near me and I shall give you your doom.”
The priestess warriors quickly stopped running towards me. Their faces turned pale and fear filled their eyes. I almost laughed at their reaction.
The chief of the priestess warriors rode her horse towards me. She drew her sword and ordered, “Seize her! Seize…”
The chief warrior fell from her white horse before she could finish her order. An arrow was stuck on her back.
“Retreat!” One of the warriors called as they pulled the chief away from the scene.
The priestess warriors tried to run away. Many of them fell on the ground before they could run. Dozens of arrows rained from the sky, injuring and killing many of them.
Amara appeared from the other side with my white horse. I felt relieved at the sight of my trusted friend. Amara released my horse and it galloped towards me.
I grabbed the neck strap of the horse and climbed on the saddle. Amara rode towards me and handed me my sword.
“Where is Saicin?” I asked.
“She’s at her chambers,” Amara answered. “The priestess is trying to get her to surrender the heart to a new owner.”
“Frida!” I yelled angrily. I swore to the stars of Cassiopeia that I would kill her.
I rode my horse as fast as I could towards the castle. When my warriors and I were near the walls, the towers lit up and the bells rang. Hundreds of Elastinian soldiers gathered at the gates of the castle. The private soldiers of the elders joined the official guards of the castle.
Two of my elite warriors greeted me before I could reach the walls.
“What happened?” I asked.
“The high priestess and some elders accused you of rebellion,” Sarisa answered. “They announced that you wanted to take the heart of the dragon from the queen.”
“They begged the people to protect the queen,” Eunisa added.
“What should we do?” Amara asked. “They are innocent. We can’t harm them.
I looked at my warriors and the people gathering at the castle’s walls. Frida! I thought angrily. The selfish high priestess had lost her mind! There was a bigger threat coming to Elastin and all Frida wanted was more power to herself.
I should have expected it. Frida was the third most powerful person in the kingdom. She was the next heir to the throne if I was eliminated.
“I will find my sister,” I told my soldiers. “Gather everyone on our side and wait for my signal. If those lights are not put off before sunrise, surrender.”
“What?” The three warriors answered in unison.
“Surrender. Then, get me out of prison,” I ordered. I looked at the castle with determined eyes and added, “Because by then, I would be sentenced for killing Frida.”
The three warriors wanted to stop me, but I rode my horse away from them. I headed to a dark corner near the walls of the castle.
Frida did not know everything in the castle. She did not know of a secret passage to the queen’s chamber. It was a secret given only to the next queen and the person she trusted the most.
* * *
“You cannot handle the heart anymore, your Royal Highness,” Frida told Saicin.
I stopped when I heard Frida’s voice from behind the secret wall. I slid the cover of a small peeping hole on the wall and peeked into Saicin’s chamber.
Saicin held her chest. My sister had been in pain since her last vision. I did not even tell her the truth about the village of Harmony. I only vowed to stop King Apollyeon and take her heart back from Minhyeon, even if it would cost me my life.
“No,” Saicin refused. “I will only give this heart to Aurora. She is my rightful heir.”
Frida sighed softly and flashed a lonely smile at Saicin. The queen turned pale, as fear made her heart jolt. She looked at the other elders in her chamber. They all avoided her eyes.
“Your Highness, Princess Aurora…,” Frida wiped her faked tear.
Ah. I really wanted to barge in and expose her treason, but the walls of the queen’s chamber were too strong to strike down.
“W-what happened to my sister?” Saicin asked.
Frida pretended to hold back her tears and answered, “The princess did not survive.”
“Survive what?” Saicin asked. She looked around and said, “Amara. Call Amara. I ordered her to watch over my sister with her own life.”
“Princess Aurora went to find the dragon,” Frida told the queen. “She failed.”
Saicin shook her head. She tried to stand from her bed, but she was too weak. Frida gave Meila a sign. The younger priestess placed a cauldron and a tray with herbs next to the bed. Frida lit a black candle in the cauldron and burned the herbs. Meila fanned the smoke towards Saicin.
Saicin’s eyes became heavy. She fought her sleepiness and tried to reach the burning herbs. Frida stopped her.
“You need to sacrifice, your Royal Highness,” Frida whispered. “Elastin has to become stronger. I will make it stronger.”
Saicin looked at Frida with shocked eyes. She could not believe that the high priestess wanted to become the queen.
“And, I will never betray Elastin for a man,” Frida continued.
That heartless woman! I gripped the handle of my sword tightly. That woman’s head would roll before the morn. I would make sure of it.
Saicin glared angrily at Frida. She tried to grab the priestess by the neck, but Frida pushed her back to the bed. Her body seemed to become heavy and all she clearly wanted to do was to close her eyes. She kept her eyes open, but Meila pushed the burning cauldron near her.
“Stars of Cassiopeia who guard the soul of our first queen,” Frida began to chant. “I, Frida, am here to receive the heart of the dragon.”
Saicin grabbed her chest and shook her head. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I felt my sister’s pain.
“Aurora,” Saicin called repeatedly. Her voice became weaker as she called. “I’ll only give the heart to Aurora.”
Frida stopped her prayer and groaned angrily. She looked at Meila. The younger priestess fanned the smoke towards Saicin faster.
Just hold on, Saicin. I’m coming to save you. I told myself and headed towards the secret door.
* * *
I surprised a white armored priestess warrior when I walked out behind a painting. I walked swiftly towards the warrior and swung my sword across the warrior’s neck without hesitation.
“Y-your Highness,” The warrior uttered in shock.
Another warrior came. Before she could draw her sword, I sliced her armor in half and thrust my sword into her torso. The other warriors retreated to the queen’s chamber.
“She has gone evil,” Some priestess warriors murmured.
I did not care what the people would think. I did not have a drop of pity in my heart. They dared to harm my sister. I warned them, but they did not heed it. They should pay.
The priestess warriors were no match for my skills and my rage. I did not treat them as my people. They were my enemies and I never hesitated to kill my enemies.
The halls to the queen’s chamber were left covered with blood and bodies of all the warriors who tried to stop me. When I reached the door to the chamber, the guards dropped on their knees and surrendered.
“A-Aurora,” Saicin called in her weak voice when I pushed the door open.
I saw the black candle and the burning bunch of herbs on the table. My body became weak when I inhaled the scent of the herbs. I almost dropped my sword.
“Stop her!” Frida ordered, but none of the priestess warriors budged.
I held my breath and got ready to defend myself. Frida ordered her soldiers to attack. They still ignored her order.
“She has the heart of the dragon,” A warrior declared.
Frida glared at the warriors. “It is not true,” she announced. “She could not free the dragon.”
I was flustered when my lie was discovered.
Frida looked at me with prideful eyes and announced, “I am the only one who can free the dragon.”
A spell bound by the heart of the queen. I remembered the words of the man in the dungeon. I drew my sword at Frida. The blade landed on her neck, but I did not cut her head – yet.
“The dragon told me the secret of how to free him,” I bluffed Frida.
Frida’s eyes widened. She looked at Meila and gave her a sign to call for help. The younger priestess opened her mouth, but she hesitated when I glared at her.
“Saicin, are you awake?” I asked without taking the blade away from Frida’s neck.
I kicked the table. The cauldron fell on the floor. The burning herbs were put off. I kicked the bed softly and called the queen again.
Saicin opened her eyes a little. I flashed an insulting grin at Frida and said, “Appoint me as the new high priestess.”
“She can’t do that!” Meila and Frida objected.
“A queen can appoint anyone to be her high priestess,” I answered. I glared at Frida and continued, “And be given the sole right to command the dragon.”
Saicin forced herself to rise from the bed. She looked at Frida and asked, “Is that why you want to be the queen? So that you and your temple can own this kingdom and the dragon?”
Frida did not answer. She grabbed something from a secret pocket of her gown and threw it on me. The fine, stinging dust entered my eyes and blinded me for a moment.
Frida pushed me away and ordered, “Take the queen, now!”
I tried to open my eyes, but the sting forced me to close them.
“Aurora!” Saicin yelled weakly.
I wanted to swing my sword, but I was afraid that I would hit my sister. Some traitors grabbed me from behind and pushed me on the bed. Someone tied my hands. Another one tied my feet. I struggled to be free but the priestess warriors sat on my back to keep me down.
Suddenly, the weight on my back became heavy as they stopped moving. I rolled over to push the warriors aside. I smiled happily when Eunisa appeared before me.
“Your Highness,” Eunisa called as she untangled the ropes from my hands.
“Save Saicin!” I ordered while pulling my hands away.
“Amara has her. She brought her to your chamber,” Eunisa answered.
“Frida and Meila?”
“We ordered that they are brought to prison,” Eunisa replied.
I shook my head. Imprisonment was too light of a punishment for those traitors. “Bring them to the dungeon. I will deal with them myself.”
Chapter Three
You came back,” The man said with a smile as I stood in front of him. His smile faded when he noticed that I wore the high priestess’ clothes. “Ah, you became the high priestess, I see.”
I smiled arrogantly at the man. With the death of Frida and Meila, no one could stop Saicin from bestowing the title of high priestess to me. We believed that it was the only way for Elastin to get the dragon’s protection.
I saw through what the man – no – the dragon had planned. Frida gave me the idea.
The dragon answered to the queen’s heart, but the priestess’ spell controlled him under the name of the queen. No priestess freed the dragon or asked for the queen’s command. It was because the priestesses had become selfish and wanted the power to themselves. They could build their own kingdom with a new dragon’s heart.
“I came to free the dragon,” I said to the man. “So, if you are him, show your true self.”
“You have no plans of freeing me,” the man said while staring straight into my eyes.
I avoided his eyes as his stare made the tiny hairs on my skin stand. My ears tingled and I could not stop myself from blushing.
The man spoke the truth. I had no plans of freeing the dragon. I wanted to summon him to fight against King Apollyeon and Prince Minhyeon. Saicin needed Minhyeon to surrender the other part of the heart. It was the only way to stop her pain and to regain her strength.
“But, you need me,” the man added. I looked at him. A proud smile flashed across the man’s face as he continued to say, “For I am your only hope.”
Stop staring at his eyes, I urged myself. My mind kept drifting every time I looked at the man’s eyes. I did not know what I saw in his eyes. His soul or my soul,
which had drowned into his very soul?
I looked away again and told him, “I am the new priestess. I am the only person who can ask the queen for your freedom.”
The man laughed hard. His laughter irked me. The man confused me. I believed that he was the dragon, but then again, he always made me doubt because of his reactions.
I gathered all my courage and set aside any admiration I had for the man before me. I walked closer to him and drew my sword against his neck.
“Princess!” Amara yelled. She signaled the other warriors to reinforce me.
“You can’t fool me anymore,” I told the man. My voice was hoarse due to anger. “I and my sister are your only hope for freedom.”
The man blew on the sword and covered it with ice. It became too heavy for me. I was forced to drop it on the ground.
The man took a large step towards me. My eyes widened and all the hairs on my skin stood again, as the man’s face leveled with mine. My heart beat louder, almost deafening my ears. I wanted to step back, but my feet froze – on their own.
The sound of the clacking chain made me jolt. My lips twisted a little with disappointment. The chain stopped the man from getting closer to me. A big part of me wanted him to be closer, so I could hear him breathe and hear his heartbeat.
He did not need to be too close. He was about a foot away from where I froze, but I could feel the warmth of his breath. I could feel the burning hotness from his body. However, I saw coldness and anger in his eyes.
The man’s eyes became red for a short moment and returned to blue again. It should have scared me, but I was – strangely – thrilled. My mind went blank. I could not think of the next move because I wanted to linger longer in this moment.
The man smiled like a debonair. My heart galloped faster than my horse because of that smile. I tried to act indifferently, but I could not deny the admiration painted on my face.
“I am not the dragon that owns the queen’s heart,” the man said. He looked at me for a while before he added, “I am yet to give my heart to my own queen.”
I looked at the man curiously. The man walked away from me. I wanted him to stop, but I did not want to appear shameless before him.